Process and apparatus for converting hydrocarbons



May 10, 1932.

G. EGLo'FF ET AL PROCESS APPARATUS FOR CONVERTING HYDROCARBONS OriginalFiled Sept. 1, 1922 Patented May 10, 1932 UNITED STATES PATENToFri'q-:fly

GUSTAV EGLOEF, OF CHICAGO, ILLINOIS, AND WILLIAM R. HOWARD, OFWASHINGTON,

DISTRICT 0F COLUMBIA,'ASSIGNORS TO THE UNIVERSAL OIL PRODUCTS COMPANY,'l OF CHICAGO, ILLINOIS, A CORPORATION OF SOUTH DAKOTA PROCESS-ANDA'rrAnATUslroR CONVERTING HYDRocAnBoNs 'Alipiicaaon sied september ,1,1922, senat No'. 585,617. Renewed June '27, 192.7.

l This invention relates to improvements in process and apparatuslfor.convertinghydrocarbons and is more particularly'directed to theproduction of maximum yields of light boiling -point products,incommercial' 'quantities, from higher boiling point products. v

AOneof the objects oflthevinventionis to' treat hydrocarbon o il under-heat-andT pres-A sure in such a vmanner as to obtain-'ahigh yield of'light products therefromi Theraw oil is forced into thefenpansionchamber, which expansion-*chamber is fvertical, inthe present instance,and 'divided into tWo`om-"f partments by Vmeans of av verticalpartitionV member. The raiv oil'thereimiiied1 :vvithfre': iuXcondensate. is forced: to'j heating coils Where it is heated tol:1t-decomposingtempera, ture and-then ,forced into the' other.compartment of 'said expansion chamber, Wherer substantial vaporizationtakes place, the vapors rising and passing through a'dephl'egmator andcondenser to be finally collected and the condensate collecting in .thedephlegrnator falling back'to the compartment in the' eX- pansionchamber Vin which Vthe raW oil is introduced. The expansion' chamber ispreferably heated, its sides being entirely surrounded by a'furnace.

1 The single figure 'inv the drawing is a more or less diagrammaticview, inside elevation, partly in vertical section, of our improvedapparatus.

Referring in detail tothe drawing, 1vdesignates the raw oil inlet linefrom any suitable source-of supply. (notshown) provided with the pump 2for forcing the raw oil into the system.' 'The raw oil isintroduced intothe side of the vertical expansionchamber designated as a -Whole by 3.As Will be seen by reference to the drawing, this expansion chamber 3 isdivided into two compartments l and 5 by the central partitionmember 6,the purpose of which will be hereinafter explained. The oil is subjectedto heat in the compartment l Where a small amount of the lightconstituents of the raw oil Will'vaporiZe. The balance of the heated rawoil Will pass into coil 11 by means of pipe 7 controlled by, valve'8, ormay be forced into the coil under a 'higher pressure by means of. the

heating fcoil y12, in this instance, a coill (continuous) of 8 pipe,Where it is heated toa decomposing temperature. It is not desired thatany substantial vaporization take place inthe heating coil-12v, Theheating coil 12 is 'mounted in the furnace 13,'.Which is heated by means'of the burner'n 14 and is'provided Withf'stackl 15, :for: the escape ofthe spent gases .of combustionl=- 5 V`'l`he heat`ed oil 'thenfpa'sses bylmeans of transfer pipe '16 provided.4 with' valve '17 to thecompartment of the expansion chamber 3, Where the oil will vapOriZe',the vapors passing up through the lpipe 18 controlled by the valve 18"to the *dephlegm'ator 19, Where a portion of -Tthem lvvill condense. Thestill uncon'densed vapors pass through the pipe 2O 4controlled yby thevalve 21 to the Water condenser 22 seated incondenser box 23, theoutletof 'said water condenser being connected tothe receiver r2li. Thereceiver 24 is equipped With the gas relief pipe 25, regulated by thevalve 26; the distillate drawoff pipe 27 regulated by the valve 28andthe usual pressure gauge 29. Any condensate which may settle out inthe dephlegmator 19 is drawn off through the line 30, either to a pointvoutside the system, in which event the-valvev 31 Would be open and thevalve-32 closed; or it may be returned to the compartment 4 to be mixedWith the raw oil and rel,

around the expansion chamber, or the sides thereof, in addition to thataround the heat` ing coils, through-.Which the gases of combustion,either from the furnace 13 or in addition to the gases from the furnace13, those produced by the use of the additional burner 33.' One oftheobjectsof heating the eXpanand rapid vaporization.

sion chamber is that it gives more complete The compartment 5 of theexpansion chamber is provided With the residuum dravvof 34 controlled byvalve 35. Suitable manholeiplates 36 and 37 are provided,{the former atthe top ofthe expansion chamber proper and the latter at the bottom ofthe compartment 5, Where the major part-.ofthe vaporization is desiredto take place-,f and Where most of the carbon is precipitated. It Willbe understood that there Will be less carbon precipitation in the compartment 4 than in the compartment 5.

One method of operating our process is as follows: The raw oil is pumpedinto the Compartment 4 of the expansion chamber 3, Where it vis mixedwith the heated reflux condensate returned from the dephlegmator 19. Asmaller part ofthe raw oil will vaporize and ass up to the dephlegmator,the balance, togetherwith the reflux condensate passing out of thekcompartment 4 into the line -7 and through this line 7 to the heatingcoil 12, Where it is heated to a decomposing or crackz ing temperature,for instance, from 75,0 to

SSO-.degs F. Theheated-oil is then introduced into the' compartment 5 Iof the expansiontchamber l3, Where rit is desired that A.allor`,substantially all of the vaporization shall-take place. Tlievaporsevolved in this compartmnetpassupthrough the pipe 18 into thedephlegmator, Where aportion of them -Will'condense and be drawn olfthrough the'pipe30 either to a point outside the system or back to thesystem as above described. The uncondensed'vapors Will pass to thecondenser Where they `vvill'condense and collect .inthe-receiver;4 Theoil, entering the compartment-5 may be subjected to a higher heat thaninthe heating coils, say, from 800 to 900 degs. F.` The compartment 4 canbe heated stillliigher than the other one, by the use of burner 33. Thesystem is in free communication-,from the pump 2 to the gas outlet valve26', a uniform pressure of say, 125 poundsl being maintained on theentire system.. Residuum vwillv be constantly Withdrawn 'from the bottomof the compartment 5 and-may be conducted to a point outside the systemor may be returned to the heating coils or mixed With the raw oil in anysuitable manner :(notshown). This, of course, Will be ob- Vious.

The process may be operated as above described or the same temperaturemay be maintained throughout the system, that is, a crackingtemperature,of say, from 750 to 900 degs. F. Or diifercntial pressures may bemaintained by proper manipulation of the valves shown. For instance, theheating coils may be maintained under a pressure of say, 300 pounds, ythe expansion chamber under 150 pounds pressure, the dephlegmator under100 poundsA and the condenser and receiver under 50y pounds pressure. 1nthe event dif- Withdrawn through the pipe 34 may be controlled andregulated so that a maximum yield of. desirablelight lproducts may beobtained, thus increasing the finalyieldof light products, based on thecharging-stock.

We claim as our invention:

l. A process of cracking petroleumgoilig.

consisting in passing the oil through 'a heating `coil and heatingY,ititoa conversion tem perature,pr eventing substantial -vaporizationin the heating coil, *passing the .heatedbil to an enlarged expansionchamber v vherel vaporization takes place,in preventingthe return of anyunvaporiz'ed oil-from-saidchamberto theheating coi1, in, withdrawing.the l'vapors from 4said vexpansion chamber and subjecting them todephlegmation and-returningselected portions of the reflux condensatetotheexpansion chambenmaintaining said reiux condensate in-a poolseparate fromth'eheated oil introduced to the chamber from .the heatingcoil, introducing charging oilfto be treated into the` pool off refluxcondensate and foro ing the combined mixture to the heating coil.2.'In.anA apparatus for cracking-Oil-,the combination With a heatingcoil mountediin a furnace, communicating Witha verticalex- `pansionchamber, a vapor drawoff therefrom, dephlegmating means communicatingWith the vapor drawoff, longitudinally extending partitioningmeansWithin the-expansion chamber dividing same into a plurality ofcompartments, means for returning selected portions of the refluxcondensate to oney compartment, anv inlet for fresh charging stockcommunicating with the reflux compartment and means for introducing thecombined mixture .to the heating coil. p

3. In an apparatus for cracking oil, the combination with a heating coilmounted in a furnace, communicating with a verticaLexpansion chamber, avapor draWoff therefrom, dephlegmating means communicating with thevapor drawoff, longitudinally extending partitioning means Within theexpansion chamber dividing same into af plurality of compartments, meansfor returning selected portions of the reflux condensate to onecompartment, an inlet for fresh charging-stock communicating with thereflux compartment and means for introducing the combined mix-

